A 96 or 97 is definitely your best bet for trouble free (less?) motoring. However, you are unlikely to find a manual transmission since Subaru did not offer one and modified cars are very rare. The automatics in the latter years were improved and will hopefully last longer.
As for me, I love my 97 and would highly recommend it to anyone willing to make the commitment. They are not cheap, and any likely repairs will be expensive as is an extended warranty (my choice to sleep better). They are also quite fast and will urge you to "bend" speeding laws. This can be a dangerous mix for any young driver.
Quite a few things to ponder.
